


Leave A Rose

by 015wayward_winchester



Series: Change the Ending [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel Loves Dean Winchester, Castiel Loves Humanity (Supernatural), Castiel and Dean Winchester Have a Profound Bond, Dean Winchester Loves Castiel, Dreams and Nightmares, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester Fluff, Engaged Castiel/Dean Winchester, Engaged Sam Winchester, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Established Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, F/M, M/M, One Big Happy Family, Past Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester, Sad Sam Winchester, Sam Winchester Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:48:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29212959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/015wayward_winchester/pseuds/015wayward_winchester
Summary: Part 3 of Change The Ending series. Sam, Elieen, Dean, and Cas are trying to move on from the past in order to build their futures.
Relationships: Castiel & Sam Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester
Series: Change the Ending [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137134
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

The skinwalker case Sam and Elieen were investigating was down in New Mexico so the couple had a very long drive ahead of them. Sam had carefully mapped the route to lead them near the Grand Canyon. 

Just before sunrise Sam pulled into the parking lot. Technically it was closed, but he had a rangers badge if they got caught.

“What are we doing here?” Elieen asked

“We’ve done a lot for this world and the people in it. Despite all your traveling I know you’ve never seen the Grand Canyon. We can take a minute to enjoy ourselves” Sam said

Reluctantly Elieen agreed

The couple walked over to the guardrail overlooking the edge. Just as the sun came up Sam lowered onto one knee and pulled out the box Dean had given him.

“Elieen Leahy will you marry me”

She was speechless. 

Not trusting her words she slipped into sign language. But first she gingerly took the ring and slipped it on her finger.

‘Yes’

Sam stood up and kissed her. The sun had fully risen, and Sam firmly believed this was a new beginning for both of them, but for him it was something special. Hope. For the first time since Jessica he had hope that he could be happy.


	2. Chapter 2

When Sam and Elieen finally arrived in New Mexico they started investigating. They knew it was a skinwalker pack because at every crime scene there were human and dog footprints. 

Once the couple had determined the location of the nest based on the center of the attacks they decided to get some rest so they could clear the nest in the morning. 

The motel only had rooms with twin beds available. 

As soon as Sam’s head hit the pillow he was out. In his dream he saw Jessica.

“Jess?”

“Hey Sam” she said softly

At first Sam worried this was Lucifer again, but Lucifer was dead. This was just his subconscious.

“Why are you here?” Sam asked

“I’m just here to talk. I hear you’re engaged, and I’m happy for you Sam. Really I am, but what makes you think this’ll end any different than any of the other times?”

“I have hope”

“Like you had hope back at Stanford? Like you had hope with Sarah, Maddison, Ruby, and all the others? Sam it’s the same song different verse.” 

“No it’s not. All those other times they weren’t hunters just civilians. Elieen is a hunter. She knows how to handle anything that may come her way.”

“I know you want to believe that” Jess said softly “I love you Sam. Good luck”

“I love you” Sam said but Jess was already gone. He woke with a start.

It was just a dream. My fear of losing someone else I love manifesting. He thought

It was 5:30 so he had an hour before Elieen woke up. He knew there was no going back to sleep for him this morning.


	3. Chapter 3

Closer to 6:30 Sam ran out to pick up coffees for himself and Elieen. She was up and eating breakfast when he returned. 

He placed the coffee in front of her.

“Thank you” she said

“No problem. It’s my job isn’t it?” 

She laughed.

Twenty minutes later they left the motel and loaded everything in Dean’s beloved Impala.

“Are you sure we shouldn’t just walk to the hunt? Dean will kill us if we let a dog near her.”

Sam laughed “Dean lent us the car. What happens next is on him” he said.

Elieen lifted an eyebrow at the double meaning in those words.

They got in the car and drove off. When the couple reached the warehouse they got out of Baby and started gearing up. Elieen picked up on Sam’s tension.

“What’s wrong?”

“Bad dream. I’m fine.”

“Sam” she pleaded

“Elieen I’m fine” he assured her

She of course knew that was absolutely bullshit, but she’d leave it alone. Unlike his brother he’d talk eventually. It was almost comical that Sam was considered the open brother. That thought looted out just how closed off both Winchesters were. 

She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around.

“Ready?” Sam asked breaking her out of her thoughts.

“Let’s do this”

They headed into the warehouse guns loaded with silver bullets. They quietly made their way to the basement. There they found seven dogs in the center of the room sleeping. As Sam readied his gun a piece of glass crunched under his feet. 

He stopped, grabbing Elieen to stop her too. But it was too late the dogs perked up and looked at the intruders. They quickly sprang into action and the hunters readied their weapons. Sam took down two quickly and Elieen managed three before a fourth snuck up behind her. 

Sam turned when he heard a cry of pain. He saw Elieen fire a shot into the bulldog biting her hand. 

“NO!” He screamed

He shot the last one before rushing to her side. 

“Sam you need to kill me. I’m going to turn and I don’t want to hurt you.” 

“No” he cried “we can fix this”

“How?” She asked “there’s no cure”

“That’s what we thought of werewolves, vampires, demons, and death. Elieen we have access to the largest supernatural library on the planet. We can find something to save you”

Elieen knew it was hopeless to argue with Sam so she agreed. “Ok, but if we can’t find anything you have to promise you’ll kill me”

“We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it.” Sam assured her


	4. Chapter 4

Sam carried Elieen to Baby then drove off back the bunker. On the way he called Dean.

“Hey Sammy how’d it-“

“Dean there’s a problem”

“What happened” Dean’s tone instantly sharpened with worry.

“It’s Elieen. She got bit.”

“Is she...” Dean trailed off not knowing what to ask.

“She’s alive, but we need to find a cure. We can cure werewolves why not skinwalkers? I grabbed some blood from the one who got her. That’s what you need for the other monster cures.”

“Ok Cas and I will look into it” 

“Thanks Dean. We’ll be there in a few hours.” He hung up the phone just as Elieen yelled and pulled off her ring. 

“Silver.” Sam said flatly

“Sam I don’t think this is going to work. You need to kill me before I hurt someone.” Elieen said nearly crying

Doing his best to hold on the tears Sam replied “not if I can help it”

Back at the bunker Dean and Cas tore apart the library section on skinwalkers. They had to find something. They just had to. 

“Dean I think I found it” Cas said after a half hour. “We need the blood of the beast who turned her, lavender, yarrow, and a few other ingredients I know we have right in the bunker.”

“Let’s get to work”

The boys set into motion grabbing ingredients, mixing herbs, and learning the spell. 

“Once they get here we’re good to go.”

After what seemed like an eternity Sam and Elieen pulled into the bunker. 

“Di-“ Sam started

“Yes we’re all set up and ready to go.” Dean said to Sam 

Cas looked to Elieen “we can save you”

Dean and Cas lead Elieen and Sam to the map room where they had set up. 

Dean started explaining “first we’re going to need to inject you with this. Then Cas and I are going to say the spell. It’ll take awhile to fully recover, but you’ll be human.”

“Do it” Elieen said 

Sam reached over to grab the syringe and held it gently against Elieen’s vain. She looked at him and nodded. He plunged it into her vain and injected the liquid. Cas and Dean quickly started reciting the spell. 

After it was over Elieen looked pale and tired, but alright. Sam handed her the engagement ring and the sliver no longer burned. He carried her to her room, put her in bed, and gave her a kiss. She needed rest. 

Sam reentered the map room where his soon to be angel in law and Dean were waiting. 

“So the proposal went well?” Dean asked

“Well it was accepted so I’d say so.” 

“How long have you had that ring? You had me pick it up from a bank storage vault. It was the only thing inside, and I didn’t even know we had a bank storage.”

Sam swallowed “it’s the ring I bought for Jess” he eventually answered

Dean gasped “you kept it?”

“What was I supposed to do with it? I considered throwing it in the lake back in 2005, but it felt almost like a betrayal so I held onto it. I think Jess would’ve wanted me to move on and give that ring to someone I love. Elieen is the one woman who can make me forget Jessica. I thought she should have the ring”

Cas spoke up “that’s a lovely sentiment Sam. It’s ok to let Jessica go. She was a very special woman who you loved very much, but it’s ok to move on”

“I know” Sam replied.


	5. Chapter 5

With Elieen cured and recovering Sam knew it was time to do something he’d been avoiding for years. He had to say goodbye to Jessica. He’d only been to the grave once and that was during the burial.

Dean had driven him to the airport, offered to drive him all the way, but Sam declined. He wanted to be back as soon as possible to be with Elieen, and unlike Dean he wasn’t afraid of flying.

On the way to the airport Dean could feel how tense Sam was.

“You’re doing the right thing Sammy.” Dean assured him

“I know it’s just her death pushed me back into hunting. Consciously or not I think her death is what was driving me. I know this is something I have to do if I want to move on with Elieen.”

“But you’re not sure how to let go?” Dean finished Sam’s thought

“Yeah” Sam sighed 

“This will give you closure Sam. Saying goodbye helps you move on”

“And you know from experience” Sam snorted

“Yeah I do”

Sam turned to face his brother. But Dean kept his eyes on the road. Only giving Sam a side glance.

“Lisa and Ben” Dean took a breath “I looked them up a few days after we caged Chuck. In order to move on with Cas I had to let go of them, not just them though. I had to let go of the life they represented. A safe, normal life outside hunting. Like what you had with Jessica.”

“Did they remember you?”

“No. I didn’t speak to them just watched across the road. Ben’s almost grown up. He goes to college, but comes home on weekends to be with his mom. Almost reminds me of who Kevin would’ve become.” Dean chuckled “Lisa is just as amazing as ever. But when I looked at them they were happy and safe. I realized that’s not a life I could ever have. I need you, Cas, and I need to hunt. Hunting led me to the family we’ve made.”

“Thanks Dean” Sam smiled

At the airport he said goodbye to Dean.

“I’ll be back tonight at 8” Sam reminded his brother 

“Good that way I don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn again” Dean joked

“Like you were sleeping anyway.” Sam joked back

“Guilty” Dean admitted “but I was having some ‘quality time’ with my angel”

Sam chocked “ok I did not need that mental image I’m gonna go now and hope somewhere inside sells brain bleach”

Dean laughed as his little brother walked away. Gosh the kid had grown up so much.

Upon arriving at Stanford Sam stalled a bit before going to visit the grave. He saw the library where Brady had introduced him to Jess, he walked to the apartment building where they’d lived, ate lunch at one of their favorite restaurants, bought some flowers and then finally he called an Uber to take him to the graveyard. 

He stepped out of the car and paid the driver. He slowly walked over to where he knew the grave to be. Once he spotted it he started talking.

“I know you always said roses were cliché, but don’t worry there’s only one of those. The rest are daisies you always loved the flowers that were simple but beautiful. You being the poet you were I thought you’d appreciate the sentiment behind leaving a rose. Jess I am so sorry. I got you killed. You had the right way of it, you were dead the moment we said hello. I will never forgive myself for putting you in that position, but I like to think you’d still want me to move on and be happy. Jessica Moore you were one of the best things to ever happen to me, and I’m sorry I was one of the worst to happen to you. If I hadn’t left with Dean that night maybe you’d still be here, but we’ll never know what might’ve been. I’ve found someone Jess. Her name is Elieen. You’d have liked her. I hope you can be happy for me. I love you, but I need to say goodbye” with tears in his eyes Sam leaned down and put his hand over the grass “goodbye Jessica Moore” he stood up kissed two fingers and placed them on the grave stone in a final kiss. “Goodbye”

With that he walked away without turning back. He almost felt free. Closure, saying goodbye, he finally felt like he could move on without feeling guilty. 

He called another Uber and decided to go on a quick hike. It was only 3 and his flight was at 5. That felt strange, but that there was a two hour time difference between Kansas and California. 

When he finally got back to Kansas Dean was as he promised there to pick him up.

“How does it feel?” The older brother asked

“Y’know I feel good. Free. I think Jess would be happy I’ve found Elieen, and she’d want me to stop holding onto her. I feel like I can move on”

Dean smiled “well let’s go see the fiancé” 

“Yeah let’s go” Sam agreed finally ready to reach to his future rather than the past. Dean was right the normal life he’d wanted with Jess was not one he could’ve had or truly wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be another work in this series.


End file.
